U.S. Proposes AI Incident Alert System to China

Why it matters locally: California, a major hub for artificial intelligence development and research, could see its industry stakeholders directly impacted by any federal AI incident alert system established with China.

U.S. officials recently proposed establishing an alert system with China to communicate about significant artificial intelligence incidents. Scott Bessent, a U.S. Treasury Department official, confirmed this development during recent discussions with Chinese counterparts. The proposed system would aim to mitigate national security risks associated with advanced AI technologies. It would create a channel for both nations to notify each other if an AI system causes an unintended event or raises concerns. Discussions regarding this AI incident alert system took place as part of broader conversations between the two countries. These talks also covered trade and economic issues, preceding an upcoming meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The White House did not immediately comment on the specifics of the proposed alert system.